The assurance of adequate occupant protection in side impact accidents is an issue of worldwide significance. ln January 1988, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in which a side impact test procedure is proposed. Studies are also under way in Europe concerning other procedures for conducting side impact tests.

In this work, an analysis was made of the effects of various vehicle component parameters on dummy readings obtained in full-scale tests. The component parameters examined included a time history of door velocity into the passenger compartment, crash force of the vehicle, door padding hardness and thickness and dummy seating position, among others. The analytical results clarified which vehicle factors have a pronounced effect on dummy readings.

An analysis was also made of the effects of the test procedure differences on dummy readings. Experiments were carried out to make clear the influence that the crabbed angle and barrier stiffness exert on dummy readings. Based on the experimental results, a study was made of the necessity of applying a crabbed angle and of the possibility of devising a test procedure using a rigid barrier.